Cody Bellinger. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-World Series champion takes issue with Cody Bellinger contract

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 12/7/22

Former World Series champion Josh Reddick is now playing in Australia, and he still can’t believe one free agent contract he saw.

Reddick threw some shade at the Chicago Cubs and Cody Bellinger over the contract the outfielder received this week. Bellinger received $17.5 million despite batting just .210 in 2022.

I guess I should have tried to hit .200 and strikeout 150 times a year. Prolly could have made $20 million a year at this point

— Josh Reddick (@RealJoshReddick) December 7, 2022

“I guess I should have tried to hit .200 and strikeout 150 times a year. Prolly could have made $20 million a year at this point,” Reddick wrote on Twitter.

Reddick’s frustration is understandable. Many people couldn’t understand the Bellinger contract considering just how bad the 27-year-old has been the last three seasons. He hasn’t hit higher than .239 for three straight seasons.

The difference is Bellinger’s ceiling is very high and much higher than a player like Reddick’s. In his 2019 NL MVP season, Bellinger hit .305 with 47 home runs and 115 RBIs. He bashed 39 home runs during his 2017 NL Rookie of the Year season.

The Cubs are paying for Bellinger’s ceiling and the hope that he can return to his All-Star form. If Bellinger repeats his .210, 150-strikeout season in 2023, he won’t be seeing any more big contracts.

As for Reddick, one of his best seasons came in 2012 with Oakland when he hit 32 home runs with a .768 OPS. He helped the Houston Astros win the 2017 World Series when he batted .314 with a .847 OPS. In his last season, which came with Arizona in 2021, Reddick batted .258 with a .656 OPS at age 34.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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